Le’Veon Bell Wants Tough Practices to Get Ready for his NFL Comeback

Le’Veon Bell is ready to rock the NFL last season, but in order to do so, he wants his teammates to help him. The fantastic runningback demanded from the Jets’ defensive team to go a bit tougher on him.

Bell, who hasn’t played a competitive match in more than 19 months, needs to feel the real deal before the season kicks off. Because of that, he demanded from his teammates to be tough on him and deliver some hits.

The former Pittsburgh Steelers deliberately tried to provoke some contact between him and the defense at Jets’ training sessions. He expected from the opposite side a reaction, which would come in the form of some upper-body hits. According to his words, that would make him ready for the season.

“I try to do that intentionally, just so I can feel it,” he said. “A lot of times you’ll start seeing guys get a little frustrated and they’ll try to hit me back — and that’s what I need,” explained Bell. “They won’t take me to the ground and they won’t go for my legs. Hitting me up top, things like that, I need all that.”

The unpleasant situation between him and the Steelers throughout the previous campaign, forced the player to miss the entire season. He wanted to go out of Pennsylvania, but the organization didn’t agree on that. Eventually, he succeeded in his attention and ended up in New York.

Now, LB gives everything in order to catch up for all those missed practices and games. Bell expressed his awareness that certain things are going to be strange for him until he catches up the competitive rhythm. But once he does that, everything will be fine.

“I know once I get to the game it’s going to be a little different, but that’s something I’ll adjust to,” he said. “I’ve been playing football my whole life.”

Jets’ head coach, Adam Gase decided not to involve the superstar RB in the preseason matches, and that is fine with the player. But due to that, he would need some tough action during the practices.

Bell signed a four-year deal with the Jets in March this year, worth $52.5 million. $35 million from that contract is guaranteed, and Gase wasn’t very happy about that.

Nevertheless, the player can’t wait to start playing, and prove that he really is worth all that amount of money. And not only that. Bell wants to remind everybody that he still is an elite running back.

“I’m eager to play. I want to go out there and show everybody I’m still the same player and help this team win games.’’

"I really hate watching Sam play, I just want to be in there with him…because I know how special he is" — @LeVeonBell pic.twitter.com/VX2ALpHZ3B

— Jets Videos (@snyjets) August 21, 2019

There is no doubt that he and Sam Darnold, the no.3 pick from the 2018 draft, are going to be one lethal combination. Along with coach Gase, these three guys might create huge noise with the Jets.

Bell spent six seasons in Pittsburgh, five of them playing. During that time, he played 62 matches and had 1,229 carries for 5,336 yards and 35 touchdowns. He became the first player to rush 150+ yards in his first two games in the playoffs.

His style of play relies on vision and quick decision-making. Bell doesn’t have some extraordinary speed, but smart choices and unreal acceleration made him arguably the best running back in the NFL.

The episode with the Steelers ended pretty nastily for both sides, and LB is now ready for the new challenges and fights.